


I am shell and I am bone

by Velvet_Velour



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Background Relationships, Established Relationship, F/F, Femslash February, Mild Language, Supernatural Elements, descriptions of violence, heavily implied VKaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22667434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velvet_Velour/pseuds/Velvet_Velour
Summary: “Can you do that?”Miller’s eyes are on her. He’s speaking to her in hisCommandervoice.Quiet smiles at him, all sharp teeth and shining eyes./ When mother base is attacked and Venom Snake taken hostage it’s Quiet who’s sent to deal with the situation.Quiet centric fic for Femslash February '20
Relationships: Flaming Buffalo/Quiet (Metal Gear)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	I am shell and I am bone

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: title from a song by Gazelle Twin.  
> This one was a challenge because it’s Quiet’s POV and it has Kaz, and I couldn’t describe him in a way I usually describe him from V’s POV (you know, all <3 <3 <3 <3 ). Originally this was written for Femslash February 2018 but I never finished it until now because I’m a dumb binch.  
> This fandom should do more with the fact that Quiet is an undead monster.

They are surrounded, guns pointed at them, and Quiet can’t help but grow irritated with every passing second. She should have seen this coming. What’s the point of having all those abilities if she can be taken by surprise so easily?

She’s here by complete accident. Venom and Miller drove here to inspect a newly built platform and she just tagged along. Now they are surrounded by enemies. How the parasites living inside her didn't sense that it's beyond her.

_We were busy,_ growls the voice in her mind.

She frowns. Busy with what? Singing loudly in her head? She got used to the voices in her head but it's their godawful singing that drives her mad. She knows the entire discography of David Bowie by now. He’s not even her favourite artist.

“Quiet!”

_Shit_. Instead of wondering if she could have done something to avoid this mess she should focus on a more pressing matter. Like getting the hell out of here.

Snake makes a mistake of looking at her, a desperate plea painted on his scarred face. One merciless hit in the head by the enemy soldier and he goes down. It’s so easy to defeat the legendary Big Boss they should be suspicious but aren’t, drunk with victory.

And then all their attention is on her. And Commander Miller. _Wonderful_.

She remembers her promise. Diamond Dogs may think of her as a freak of nature but if she promises something, she intends to keep her word.

That’s why she turns away from Snake, ignoring the parasites’ hiss, and turns to Miller. He hides behind the jeep, a helpless sheep among lions. She needs to get to him before anyone else does. She jolts forward as another bullet flies in her direction. Why are they shooting at _her_ , when there’s a better target right there? Snake wouldn’t be too happy to know she just called Miller a target. Then again, he also wouldn’t be happy if anything happened to Miller, so it’s better if she acts fast.

Soldiers shout at her. She disappears from their sight again, bullets missing her just barely but it’s enough for her to move unobstructed. She leaps forward, the parasites howl in her head and she reappears, wincing only barely at the odd sensation of becoming flesh again, every atom of her human shell forming again. Not existing is painless, it’s the living part she despises.

Hiding behind the car Miller has his hand on the holster he wears on his chest, struggling to grab his gun. That poor idiot thinks he can do something. She would laugh if she had the time. A bullet hits the ground a centimetre from where her left foot was a second ago. _Too close._ She needs to get the hell out of here.

A stray bullet grazed his temple and the parasites in her head hiss at the sight of blood tickling down the side of Miller’s face. She twists her lips. She will keep him alive, alright, it’s not her fault he’s only human. He stares at her in shock, opens his lips to bark an order at her – she doesn’t have time for that.

Quiet reaches out, sees Miller’s milky blue eyes widen as she pulls him into her arms. His aviators clatter to the ground. He can be angry about it later. Sounds of protest die in his throat in the exact moment he realises what she’s about to do. She doesn’t see the expression on his face but feels the change in him as his anger dissolves into fear. If she was more human she’d pat him on the head and tell him everything’s going to be okay. Thankfully she’s not. Besides, she’s not his damn babysitter.

He weighs nothing. She gets that he’s missing two limbs and she’s abnormally strong, but still, a grown man shouldn’t be so light. No wonder Snake’s always so worried.

She grunts, her muscles straining as the parasites tell her to jump. Dark smoke sizzles on her skin. If she could breathe she would puff out a big cloud of smoke, like a dragon. Make those who fear her even more afraid. It’s an instant and she’s gone. It’s a whole eternity for the things living inside her. Quiet jumps forward in a way no human possibly could. Parasites howl inside her, _Faster, faster!_ Her muscles strain.

She grabs a fistful of blond hair. Miller’s beret flies away. _Hold his head_. He’s fragile like a porcelain teacup. Some distant, not yet corrupted part of her brain remembers an intricate pattern on a porcelain vase she once saw in a…. She winces at the sudden ache in her head. There’s too little of her left to remember. She doesn’t even know her own name anymore. Her mind is full of parasites, leaving no place for memories. Not that it matters anyway.

Parasites urge her to _Move!_ in a language only they understand. A woman with shining eyes stands in the way with a rifle in her hands. _Thought you could be a hero and shoot the monster?_ Quiet moves slightly to the left, just so the bullet misses her. The parasites rejoice hearing the woman’s magazine is empty. She wasted all those bullets for nothing. She finally realizes it, too, and Quiet sees how fear changes her face in a way she’s seen so many times before. When a monster is coming at you, there’s nothing you can do.

_Kill her_ , the voices say. For a split second Quiet considers it; it would be fair. Shooting at her is hardly an issue. No hard feelings, really. But it would be a punishment for drawing a gun at Snake. No one touches the man, not on Quiet’s watch. It doesn’t matter the bitch missed, it’s the thought that counts. Humans are easy to kill, like Quiet once was. Being set on fire and falling down on a concrete floor was enough to almost end her. _Almost_. Sometimes she wishes Skullface had left her there to bleed out.

But that was long time ago, besides it’s about the person she used to be, someone she barely remembers. So yes, humans are easy to kill in the eyes of a being that’s not human at all. Hell, it’s so easy to just press and squeeze to hear the bones snap.

But. She’s not going to kill. It’s not her mission now. Quiet jumps over the woman who tumbles down, covering her head in fear. She holds the man in her arms, careful not to drop him.

Bones in her legs break when she lands on hard ground, then they are healed so fast she has no time to scream in pain. There are times she wonders what will happen when she breaks for good.

_Silence!_ , the parasites snarl, annoyed. Can they really feel human emotions or does she project her own feelings on them? She may never know.

_We will put you back together no matter what._

Wonderful, she thinks with a bitter smile on her lips.

Another jump. It takes her twenty seconds to get to the middle of the bridge connecting platforms. The voices behind her get distorted, she doesn’t hear their angry shouts anymore. In her head the parasites calculate the distance to the next platform. It’s all fluid for them, like no distance nor time exist in their world. She pays no attention to that, as long as they let her do what she’s supposed to.

She stops by a parked jeep, startling two soldiers patrolling the area. They gape at her, eyes wide. Just when one of them opens his mouth to ask a question, the alarm starts blaring loudly.

_Took you long enough._

Miller’s panting like he was the one who did all that running and jumping. His hand clutching at the strap of her gear shakes. When he glances at her with those cloudy eyes of his he looks like a rabid animal.

And, of course, his reaction is far from gratitude.

“Why did you leave?! Why the fuck did you leave him there?!”

He has to grip her shoulder or else he falls, his prosthetic leg dislocated as the parasites kindly inform her. He clutches at her hard with his trembling hand, maybe hoping to inflict some pain, leave a bruise. _That’s adorable_.

More soldiers gather around them, their voices mixing together. There are times they all look the same to her. Except one.

( _Buffalo is on the R &D platform_, the voices whisper.)

The soldiers form a circle around their Commander shouting angrily at a freakish monster. This has to look suspicious, she just appears with Miller soon after an attack. Just another reason for them to hate her. She would be more surprised if they didn’t blame her.

“How could you leave?!” He doesn’t seem to notice the tickle of blood on the side of his face. Two drops fall on his collar. Up this close she can see panic in Miller’s eyes. He can’t hide it behind his aviators anymore, his desperation visible in his pale eyes. “Answer me!”

_How dense are you?_ Quiet purses her lips.

She swats his hand away and takes a step back. Miller wobbles on his one good leg then quickly grabs her shoulder again. Their eyes meet. The corner of his lips twitches like he was ready to bare his teeth and bite.

_Do you get it now? Do you get why I had to leave_ him _there, not you?_

Miller holds her gaze longer than expected, then turns to look at the soldiers. He straightens his back, holds his head high. Just like that his anger is hidden away behind a serious and professional demeanour of a man who always manages to crawl his way back to the top.

Hearing a jangle of spurs she turns to look at Ocelot. His eyes fall at the Commander’s hand on her shoulder. He smells like gunpowder ( _He was training new recruits_ , the parasites whisper in her ear. _Bit disappointed they don’t get the best results, wants to push them harder_.) and something else she can’t quite understand ( _Drugs?_ The voices wonder). The latter smell seems to always linger on him, like a taint he can’t wash off. She doesn’t care enough to check what it is.

After a moment of consideration she steps a bit closer to Miller. He glances at her but thankfully says nothing when she puts a hand on his waist to support him. She’s not doing much, just mimicking what Snake always does. It’s worth it just to see how the soldiers react. If they witness the Commander treating her like an actual member of Diamond Dogs maybe next time they’ll think before spraying FUCK OFF FREAK on the sign near her cell. Not that she cares, but… It’s like they _want_ her to beat them up. Not to mention that Buffalo gets upset.

It’s not the first time mother base is under attack. It is, however, the first time Venom Snake is taken hostage. Judging by Miller’s behaviour it drastically changes the situation. Not that Quiet isn’t worried; she is, even with parasites dulling her emotions. But it’s _Snake_ they’re talking about. She wants to believe he’ll be fine no matter what.

Gathered inside a small room Miller is now directing his anger at Ocelot. What’s the point of having an Intel team if they don’t fucking do anything, and all that. Quiet doesn’t pay much attention to what any of them says. The parasites listen and remember every detail, that works well enough for her.

The enemy sends their demands. Money. In the end it all comes down to money. She scoffs. _Pathetic_. And the fact they chose to take Venom Snake hostage proves they lack basic knowledge. Sure, every Diamond Dog will give their life for their Boss. But they didn’t even realise they had a more valuable man in their hands. If it they had Miller hostage, they could ask for anything if they played their cards right.

But they didn’t. The downside is that now she has to listen to Miller’s angry yelling at everyone around him.

He continues his tirade, words dripping with rage. Quiet doesn’t want to listen but she does, and with every passing second she gets angry herself. It’s an emotion she doesn’t really feel anymore, not towards him at least, but in this exact moment she begins to wonder if she could –

– _reach out, wrap your hand around his neck and squeeze. The cat’s eyes are shining right at you but we’re faster, he would never react in time. Hear the bones snap under your fingers. It’s so easy, you know it, don’t you? You did it before, you killed even before we remade you, and you will do it again because –_

“Commander!”

The door opens and Flaming Buffalo gets inside, breathing heavily after a jog. The voices are silent in an instant, only in a faint voice whispering about Buffalo’s heart rate and worry radiating from her in waves.

The woman salutes her superiors. “I’m at your disposal, sir. The Combat Unit will take care of the situation. Just give the order, sir.”

Her eyes move to Quiet, a quick, worried glance to check if the woman is okay. Her gaze softens and Quiet blinks, confused how a single look from this person can silence even the creatures inside her head. The parasites just observe; they wish to consume this one as well but Quiet will never let them.

It takes them fifteen minutes to come up with a plan. The parasites get bored after two and begin to inform her about every single detail. _Miller’s erratic breathing calms down. He’s so mad he could kill a man with his only good hand. Should we make it happen? We would like to see that. His worry could make him reckless enough to make a mistake._

Quiet looks through the window. She got used to ignoring the buzz in her head.

_Ocelot has only nine bullets in his revolvers. Wanted to demonstrate his famous ricochet technique. New recruits are easy to impress. He listens to Miller but his mind is focused on something else. If you let us, we could crack his head open and tell you all his secrets._

_Buffalo –_

_Not a word_. Quiet presses her lips in a thin line.

“We need this contained as quickly as possible and without any casualties. The Combat Unit isn’t enough,” Miller explains. It’s so strange to see him without his sunglasses, his face bare, emotions exposed. Is it what draws Venom’s close? This raw power inside a shell of a damaged man?

“Can you do that?”

Miller’s eyes are on her. He’s speaking to her in his _Commander voice_.

Quiet smiles at him, all sharp teeth and shining eyes. It’s a delight to see something akin to fear on his face. How else he could react, it’s only natural to run when you see a beast.

She nods.

A cacophony of sounds erupts in her head. The parasites get too excited sometimes.

When they leave the room, Buffalo walks up to her. She has tiny wrinkles around her eyes. Her lips are always soft.

“Be careful,” Buffalo whispers with that little smile she has on her lips every time she wants to hide her worries. She looks and sounds like a _concerned girlfriend_ , and Quiet feels longing inside of what’s left of her guts, making her uneasy.

Why is Buffalo even worried about her? She should worry about herself. Why is she talking to her as if Quiet wasn’t a creature straight from a nightmare?

The soft look on Buffalo’s face is an answer enough.

* * *

Buffalo parks her jeep in the middle of the bridge, then walks the rest of the distance to the platform with her hands raised up. Meanwhile Quiet dissolves into nothing and gets behind the enemy line unnoticed.

_Twelve_ , the voices inform her. Did they really think they can beat Diamond Dogs with twelve people?

With the entire platform still under construction there are many places to hide and sneak around. Reappearing, she crouches behind a big WE’RE SORRY sign, takes a breath and lets the parasites do their work. The black shapes around her eyes sting.

Those two on the tower. Let’s call them _January_ and _February_. Both carry standard equipment, no surprises waiting for her. She needs to be quick about it or else they’ll gun Buffalo down. Alright then, _January_ and _February_ are the first ones to take a dive in the waters surrounding mother base. Miller said no killing, they need to interrogate those assholes first. Technically it won’t be her fault if they drown, so who gives a fuck. She readies herself and jumps higher than humanly possible, winces when her muscles strain.

This is going to be tiring. Hopefully it’ll rain soon.

She grabs the two men, hits their heads together knocking them out. She doesn’t stop to admire how their bodies disappear under the waves. In a blink of an eye she’s on the platform’s floor, hiding behind the construction sign again. The constant buzz in her head is almost distracting. She doesn’t quite appreciate how excited they get by violence.

Quiet glances at the rest of the soldiers. With _January_ and _February_ gone that leaves ten of them. Buffalo will take care of those three at the front, like that creepy one she’s talking to right now. Let’s call him _December_. Those two behind him, his bodyguards from the looks of it, will be _October_ and _November_. Quiet listens to them for a bit. Is the guy trying to offer Buffalo a deal? Leave Diamond Dogs and join them? How stupid is he?

One soldier goes over to the railing to investigate the splash. He must have heard his friends being thrown into water. He’s sweating like a pig. Okay then, she’ll call this guy _March_.

Hearing a grunt she jerks her head to see Snake getting hit in the back of his head again. Seems like _December_ is trying to make a point, telling Buffalo he’s ready to kill her boss if they don’t yield. He orders a woman standing by Snake to hit him some more. Quiet narrows her eyes at her. She’ll be _April_.

“Don’t move!” a female voice shouts at her.

Quiet glances at two soldiers, a man and a woman, standing behind her. _May_ and _June_ have her trapped between them and _March_ who spins around and nearly drops his gun when he sees her.

_No more hide and seek, huh?_

“Thought you can ambush us and rescue your boss?” _June_ barks, anger transforming her face into an ugly mask. “Drop your weapons now!”

“Oh, _shit_ ,” _March_ says and Quiet doesn’t have to see his face to know he’s staring at her in fear as the realisation hits him. “It’s that _freak_!”

He doesn’t care to elaborate though it seems enough for _May_ to immediately point a gun at Quiet’s head.

_Big mistake_.

She disappears in a puff of smoke before he can pull the trigger and the bullet hits the man behind her . _March_ yelps in pain, clutching at his bloody chest before he falls on the ground, a red stain growing on his chest. The parasites howl like a pack of wolves.

_Nine left_.

There’s a moment of realisation when _May_ takes a step back and sees he just killed his comrade. _June_ doesn’t waste any time, shooting blindly, hoping to hit the invisible sniper. This commotion draws attention of everyone else on the platform. The parasites move around her like a swarm of flies. _December_ is pissed, ordering Buffalo to kneel down. He seems truly upset that Diamond Dogs didn’t yield to his demands, that poor guy. _October_ and _November_ point their guns at kneeling Buffalo. _April_ is still by Snake.

Two men rush in her direction. _July_ and _August_ , the latter has a beard similar to Snake’s. Who does he think he is, he’s too skinny, he could never pull off that look.

Quiet moves back a bit, still invisible. _That’s right, go after me._

She reappears close enough to kick _May_ right in the chest. His ribs crack under her boot, he flies in the air, hits a shipping container and falls lifeless on the ground. Quiet doesn’t have time to wonder if he’s dead or not ( _He isn’t_ , the voices kindly answer). She grabs a knife from a holster on her thigh. _June_ made a mistake of wasting all her bullets firing at nothing and now she has to suffer the consequences. The parasites rejoice at the sight of blind panic in her hazel eyes.

Quiet’s blade makes a cut, shallow enough to draw blood but not do any serious damage. _June_ screams, more panic than pain. The two men behind her are ready to shoot, their voices mixing together. It’s all just noise, really. The woman attempts to hit her. Quiet scoffs, grabbing her wrist and twisting it without much effort. This time _June_ groans in pain.

Holding the knife between her teeth, in one fluid motion Quiet grasps the woman’s fatigues and pulls her close to use as a shield seconds before the soldiers open fire. The woman’s body jolts as bullets hit her in the back. Blood pours from her lips, screams dying in her throat.

_July_ on the right still has bullets and is ready to shoot. Bearded _August_ on the left needs to reload, frantically reaching for a spare magazine from a pouch on his belt. The dead woman’s blood stains Quiet’s gloves. The parasites hiss, eager to taste it. She ignores their nagging, getting ready to take out the rest of the soldiers.

Quiet flings the lifeless body at _August_. He wants to move away but it’s too late and he collapses, crushed by his dead comrade. She doesn’t have time for him now, dismissing the parasites suggestion to crush his skull under her boot.

Her knife is in her hand again. _July_ realises what she’s about to do seconds too late. _Too slow!_ She throws the blade which pierces the man’s shoulder. The parasites sing in tune with his shriek. It’s enough to make him drop his gun and fall to his knees. She’s by him in an instant, grabs her knife and twists. He howls in pain; the parasites cackle in amusement. One punch and he falls unconscious.

_Five to go_.

That’s the final straw for _December_. “Kill the bitch!” he yells at the two goons by his side.

_October_ and _November_ obey like the mindless sheep they are and rush at Quiet, shooting without aiming.

_There’s one more_ , the parasites remind her. She dodges the bullets, runs ahead and jumps high to land on a scaffolding by an unfinished staircase. Her right leg breaks and heals so fast she can barely notice.

She finds the man hiding there, raising a shaky hand holding a gun at her. Looks like _September_ is a coward.

_Break his neck_. Quiet shakes her head. She grabs his gun, throws it aside, then lifts him in the air. _September_ screams like a goat. _Next time you’ll think twice before doing something stupid. If there is next time for you, buddy._

He flies in the air, screaming. Thankfully _October_ is there to make his landing easy. Both men lie on the ground unconscious. Quiet jumps down, disappearing mid–air. She needs to wrap this up. Even _April_ has had enough and joined the fight. The woman’s pretty but _pretty_ doesn’t mean shit on the battlefield.

_November_ still thinks he can hit her. He fires without thinking, yet another fool, and just like that he’s out of bullets in no time. _April_ seems smarter, she tries to aim, cursing as the sniper blinks in and out of sight.

The voices urge her to be more _creative_ this time, and she may listen to them just this once. With a knife in her grasp, Quiet appears behind _November_ and in one fluid motion cuts his hand off. The parasites sing in tune with his screams.

He’s a feisty one, she has to give him that. Even with blood pouring from his arm he musters the courage to push her away, his good hand reaching for a pistol strapped to his belt. Quiet raises her knife and only then he cries out a plea, begs for mercy as he falls down.

All his bravado is gone, leaving a pitiful creature clutching a bloody stump to his chest.

In her mind’s eye she sees herself stabbing right in the middle of his chest. She sees the exact moment death claims him, his glassy eyes looking at her with disbelief. She’s seen it so many times before. The parasites whisper into her ear, _Isn’t this what this man deserves?_

_What they all do?_

“Stop!” Buffalo’s voice pierces through the haze in Quiet’s mind, making the sniper take notice of the situation. _December_ still has Buffalo kneeling by him, gun pressed to her head, but it’s not him that Buffalo addresses.

_April_ points her gun at Snake, her hand shakes and she hesitates long enough for the parasites to make Quiet realize what’s happening. The woman has her finger on the trigger and takes a breath. Then she shoots.

_Big fucking mistake._

Quiet’s not a magician. She can’t make the bullet disappear or stop time to push it away from Snake. But the parasites tell her everything she needs to know; how fast the bullet will reach Snake’s chest. That it will pierce his body two centimetres above his heart because the woman’s hand is shaking too much to land a perfect shot. How much blood he’s going to lose and how long it will take him to bleed out.

In a heartbeat between the woman pulling the trigger and the gun firing, the parasites tell her all this and more. It’s all a buzz at the back of her head. She knows what she has to do.

Her muscles scream in protest when she pushes the very limits of her human form and moves so quickly she’s only a blur. One, two, three of her bones snap then heal themselves. Her legs are on fire in one moment but in the next all is well again. Her eyes water, she blinks the tears away. Her human brain doesn’t even know how she’s moving, but she knows she has to move now, _right now_.

No time to go invisible, she has to _Jump!_ , and Quiet makes a jump, parasites sizzling on her tongue.

She pushes Snake out of the way, wrapping her hands around his neck to protect his head when they both fall down on the ground. The bullet hits her in the back, right between the shoulder blades, and she cries out in pain. Despite everything going on with her she still feels pain. Perhaps it’s the only thing that’s left of her human self.

No time for thinking about it now. Venom grunts under her. When he looks at her he seems like he’s on a verge of laughing. 

“Never thought you’d be up for such a dramatic entrance.”

She scoffs. _You’re terrible._ She gets back on her feet and groans, feeling the parasites coiling around the bullet lodged in her flesh. Getting hit with only one bullet isn’t enough to stop her, not after all she’s been through.

She gives Snake a wary look, _Don’t you dare to move!_ , then turns around to face the would be killer. The woman stutters in fear. Something about a monster, nothing Quiet hasn’t heard before.

_I’ll show you a monster, alright._

The woman watches in horror as the bullet pierces through Quiet’s chest, dark ooze tickling down the sniper’s skin. The parasites push it through her flesh, they like to show off sometimes, and it falls on the ground. The woman screams.

She holds up her gun but Quiet is at her in seconds. First, slap the gun from her hands. Then comes a punch. The woman’s jaw breaks, blood and teeth flying, and she collapses to the ground, unconscious. She won’t be able to speak for a longer while, not with her face looking like that. That won’t be a problem, Ocelot will find a way to get everything he needs from her.

This kind of distraction is exactly what Buffalo needs. As _December_ stares at Quiet, mouth wide open, Buffalo kicks him in the knee. He doesn’t have time to hiss in pain when his head is slammed to the ground, rendering him unconscious. Buffalo straightens her back, glances at Quiet and holds her thumb up. The sniper nods, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

She holds out her hand to Snake. He accepts with a smile and gets up.

“Thank you, Quiet,” he says, his voice serene. “I owe you. Big one.”

_You sure do, Boss._

* * *

[ _Months earlier_ ]

Venom pats the spot by his side and Quiet moves to sit next to him. She glances at her own photo, one of many decorating the ACC. Even the parasites aren’t sure when and how Venom takes these pics. If he wasn’t so sneaky about it she would pose or something, but no, he seems to like candid shots.

“Your turn to choose.”

Venom passes her his walkman. She pulls out a box from under the seat they’re on, browses through his ever growing collection of cassettes. After a moment of consideration she picks one of them. She offers him one earbud which he accepts with a nod. They could put the music on a speaker but they both agree that it’s not quite the same. Then she presses play.

“Yazoo? Really, again?” He smiles. Quiet shrugs. “Alright, Yazoo it is.”

It’s a long ride to mother base, so when the tape is close to an end the sniper begins to wonder what she should pick next. Maybe just rewind this one, why not. But first she needs to figure out why Snake’s so tense. She doesn’t need parasites whispering inside her head to see something’s bothering him.

“Which one now?” Venom asks once the tape ends.

Quiet narrows her eyes at him and hums a long _Hm_. He looks confused at first but then relents and lets out a sigh.

“Yes, there is something I want to tell you.”

Quiet gives him a triumphant look.

“Actually, I want to ask you something,” Venom clarifies, his face serious.

She recognises the tone of voice. He doesn’t use it often, but when he does the matter sure is important.

“Can you promise me something?”

She nods without thinking. _Anything_.

Venom exhales. In the dim light his scars stand out even more. “Remember the last time mother base was attacked by another PMC? Your girlf– ” he stops and clears his throat. “Flaming Buffalo got their leader before he could do anything. She’s really something, isn’t she?”

Quiet gives him a look, one curious eyebrow raised. _Are you trying to give me The Talk? It’s a bit too late for that._

“They attacked the R&D platform, thinking it was a good idea to get to us from that position, but… Let’s say they underestimated us, don’t you think?”

Quiet doesn’t react, listening. Venom Snake doesn’t talk much. If he’s this talkative, it means serious business. She tilts her head to the side. _Come on_. _I’m waiting_.

Snake lets out a sigh.

“You know how new recruits tend to say that they joined because of me. That they wanted to serve under the _Legendary Soldier_ ,” he scoffs like he wasn’t really believing people call him that. “They joined Diamond Dogs because of me, but we both know without Kaz the whole thing will crumble right into the ocean.”

She quirks an eyebrow. Some would disagree but she’s not going to argue.

“Promise me that if something ever happens and you will have to choose… If it’s between saving me or saving him, he’s your priority, not me.”

Their eyes meet and she sees it then, that deep sadness in his gaze.

Quiet gives him a smile. _Of course_.

She rewinds the cassette, then presses _Play_ and [the song begins to play again.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D3udbawA1Q)


End file.
